from $769.00

Tour style – Learn & Volunteer

8 days

Take Spanish classes, work with the elderly and immerse yourself in the local culture of beautiful coastal Costa Rica
About this Project: Participants will learn Spanish language skills at a school located near Manuel Antonio National Park—one of Costa Rica’s most popular parks. The region surrounding the school offers some of the world’s most spectacular beaches—and an extraordinary range of biodiversity. Volunteers work
with elderly people in the area, providing an opportunity for the elderly to receive one-on-one attention and receive better nutrition and healthcare.
A day in the life of a volunteer:
•Take half-day Spanish classes and improve your skills
•Experience community life through a family homestay
•Provide much-needed help to the region’s elderly
•Provide support to staff at the centre
•Explore Quepos and Manuel Antonio’s beach town and incredible rainforest
•Free time to hike the trails and spot monkeys or try your hand at surfing

  • Day 1 San José

    Arrive in San Jose at any time. There are no planned activities so check into our hotel and enjoy the city.
    Located in the central highlands, San José enjoys a moderate climate. The heat and humidity of the coast and lowland areas may affect you, with a general sense of lethargy and/or loss of appetite. This is no cause for alarm, it is simply your body’s reaction to the heat. Be sure to drink plenty of water (bottled water
    is available everywhere) and do not attempt too much in any given day. We prefer fan-cooled rather than air conditioned rooms to avoid having to acclimatize to the heat and humidity every time you go outside. This is also a more eco-friendly approach.
    Like most cities, San José has its good and bad sides. It is the centre of government, theatre, and art, as well as of air pollution and congestion. It has beautiful parks and museums, and a few beggars on the streets. It is big and often noisy, but even from its crowded downtown streets, you’ll often enjoy a view of
    the surrounding lush mountains.
    Start your exploration of the city in the main plaza, a great place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.
    A source of pride for the ticos (as Costa Ricans are known) is the National Theatre. Inaugurated in 1897, the building was paid for by coffee growers through a voluntary tax on every bag of coffee exported. The National Museum, housed in the Bellavista Fortress, offers exhibits on pre-Columbian art, colonial art
    and furniture and religious art within a 19th century building that was converted from a military fortress after the army was abolished.
    The Museum of Costa Rican Art, located in La Sabana Park, was once the international airport; the museum is now housed in the old terminal building. The Jade Museum is on the 11th floor of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros building. In addition to the marvellous collection of jade objects, there are
    pre-Columbian ceramic and stone works as well as displays with archaeological and ethnographic information. The Gold Museum is located underneath the Plaza de la Cultura. Its spectacular collection of indigenous gold art belongs to the Central Bank of Costa Rica.
    The best and least expensive places to buy souvenirs in San José are the markets. The two main ones are the ones in Plaza de la Cultura, which is an outdoor open market, and the Central Market, where handicrafts are sold along with boots, fish, flour, herbal remedies, shirts and everything else you can imagine.
    Always watch your belongings and be ready for crowds. If you plan on spending a few days in San José after your tour, there are a number of activities within the city and area that you can participate in, many of them outdoors.
    Probably the hardest thing you will do in San José, other than get safely across busy streets, is keep the street numbering systems straight. Street and avenue numbers are posted on buildings at the corners of some intersections. Keep looking as you walk, and you will eventually find one.

  • Day 2-7 Quepos (5B,6D)

    Half-day of Spanish class, half-day of volunteering Monday through Friday. For the volunteering portion, lead residents at an elderly care center in various activities, help them cook, distribute food, teach English, and help them garden.
    Learn Spanish language skills at a school located near Manuel Antonio National Park—one of Costa Rica’s most popular parks. The region surrounding the school offers some of the world’s most spectacular beaches—and an extraordinary range of biodiversity. Volunteers work with elderly people in the area,
    providing an opportunity for the elderly to receive one-on-one attention, learn new skills and receive better nutrition and healthcare.
    This small town on the Pacific coast is a great place to relax and enjoy the sun and nearby sea. A short distance away, Manuel Antonio National Park offers beautiful white sand beaches and warm turquoise water, ideal for swimming, fishing, kayaking, boogie boarding, sailing or surfing.
    Quepos sits on the outskirts of the Manuel Antonio National Park (about 20 min drive) and is a great introduction to the laid-back “Tico” lifestyle. This town is very popular with the younger set of international travellers, and the nightlife in the area is also some of the best in the country. If you have the jungle in mind,
    then we recommend that you head into the National Park. Although this is Costa Rica’s smallest National Park, it is also one of the most popular and it won’t take you long to see why. This park has fabulous beaches, abundant wildlife, and a great trail system for those who want to spend the day hiking. Look for
    monkeys, armadillos, coatimundis, sloths and some of the over 350 species of birds that are present in the park!

  • Day 8 Quepos (B)

    Depart at any time.

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